Blank Points
by Ryuka-Raion
Summary: In a modern world, the only big worries are school exams and relationships. Now, this group of not-quite-friends is forced to fight for their lives after being thrown and trapped in what can only be called a nightmare. Can they all put aside their differences once and for all, or will their drama literally be the end of their world? M for later graphic scenes.
1. Chapter 1

It was a warm summer day. The perfect weather for ice cream, Xion Caelum thought to herself. Then again, it was always perfect weather for ice cream. This time, she had an excuse to get it.

Settled on treating herself, Xion quickly gathered her things to prepare to leave; her Moogle shaped coin bag, her new Key 3 phone (already cracked from an accidental trip), and her keys.

Xion examined herself in the mirror; her coal black hair was messy and greasy, but she simply pulled it back in a ponytail. Dark circles were visible underneath her blue eyes. She didn't care in the end. It would be a quick stop anyway.

"I'm heading out, want anything?" the teenager announced before leaving. Her older sister Yuffie had asked her to buy an ingredient she had forgotten for dinner, and her brother Noctis asked for a pastry from the coffee shop. Xion and her family lived right across the street from the shopping plaza so it didn't take long to walk over. Radiant Groceries was a chain grocery store with a SkyNotes coffee chain nearby. SkyNotes was always crowded, so Xion decided to go afterwards.

Entering Radiant felt mechanical; she had been here so often that she could get what she needed and go home in her sleep. The warm familiar walls greeted her as she strolled past the aisles toward the produce aisle. She grabbed what she needed for Yuffie, then headed towards frozen section in the back of the store. Xion rooted herself in front of the familiar door and stared at the selection.

"Hm… for 5 munny I can get a pint of Marble Madness… but for 7 munny I can get 6 bars of Sea Salt…" Xion hummed to herself. Xion always debated over what flavor to get. It only felt natural to her, but this time it felt incredibly important. Xion grimaced at her growing weight; she didn't bother exercising, so she had been growing chubby. It would damage her health to continue like this, but right now ice cream was too damn important. She could worry about exercise later. It never stopped her before.

Ultimately she grabbed the pint of Marble Madness and tucked it in the reusable bag. Immediately her routine started again and she paid for the groceries without a thought at the self-check-out lane. Remembering Noctis's pastry, she made her way to SkyNotes. It was across the plaza, so Xion cut through the parking lot.

"Ugh, stupid SkyNotes has to be outdoors…" Xion mumbled to herself. The temperature had risen, and Xion had worn her favorite black jacket without thinking. The familiar purple colored umbrellas were opened for seated guests, but those waiting in line were exposed to the sun. Once Xion entered the long line that trailed around, she took off her jacket and tucked it underneath her reusable grocery bag.

"Xion?" a familiar young woman's shocked voice called out. Immediately the ravenette froze. In disbelief, Xion slowly turned her head to see who called her. With a drink in one hand and a bar of Sea Salt ice cream in the other, a fair young woman with chestnut brown hair held in a ponytail and vibrant green eyes stood in front of her.

"Olette?" Xion asked quietly.

"Yeah…" the brunette answered. Her eyes were wide and a grin was visible. She cleared her throat. "Well hey, how are you?"

"Uh, f-fine," Xion answered swiftly. "I didn't know you came here."

"Ah, I actually work at Hikari Food," Olette said, lifting the black work shirt folded over her arm. Hikari Food was a simple fast food restaurant in the plaza, alongside Tiger Kitchen.

"Oh really? That's good to know," Xion said. She didn't know what to say or what to do. It had been nearly a year since Xion had spoken to Olette. It stung to remember how far they had drifted from each other – or rather, how far Xion had ran away from Olette.

"Hey, you live close by right?" Olette asked. Xion nodded. "Haha, you should come visit me at work sometime. We need to hang out again."

Xion bit her lip anxiously, uncomfortable with Olette's straightforwardness. "Oh, I don't normally get Hikari," she answered, nervously adding, "b-but I'll try." Unsure of what to say, Xion looked toward the ground, wondering if anyone had moved from the line. "S-so, Ol-"

"Oh Xi," Olette excitedly said over her, ignoring the ravenette, "I got a new phone. Here, lemme get your number."

"Oh, okay…" Xion took out her phone and opened the keypad as Olette handed hers, using one hand to hold the drink and ice cream together.

"Hey, we have the same model!" Olette giggled, holding the devices side by side. Both phones were silver with gold painted edges. Olette had added a blue crystal charm to her phone. Xion quickly added her name and number, then glanced at the line. It had moved a bit, so Xion stepped forward. "Here you go, Xi!" Olette happily handed the phone back.

"Thanks." Xion forced herself to smile politely. "It's, uh, it's nice to see you."

"Oh, you too Xion," Olette said sincerely. She took a bite of her ice cream and glanced at her phone. "Alright, I need to go, but I'll text you. See ya!"

"Later, Olette," Xion said with a small wave. She watched the brunette leave and stood frozen in place. At once worrisome thoughts clouded Xion's mind. It wasn't until the rather cute barista cleared his throat that she was brought back to earth.

Once she was home, Xion gave Noctis and Yuffie their things and stuck her ice cream in the freezer. She then went into her room and flopped onto her messy bed, ignoring the wiry mess of her tangled headphones and phone charger underneath her. She stared at her sparsely decorated walls, trying to lose herself in the familiar sight.

"Hm… sea salt ice cream, huh?" Xion said into her MeowWow shaped Dream Eater pillow. Throughout high school, sea salt ice cream had become a staple in Xion's diet after it had been introduced to her by some of her friends. It had bonded her with some of those friends as they spent their time after school eating the treat and letting go of their minds for a bit. It had been a year since graduation. While Xion still kept sea salt ice cream a part of her live, the people who made her who she was today had slowly faded out of the picture.

"BING!" Xion's phone buzzed with a new notification. Groaning exasperatedly, Xion sat up and unlocked the screen.

Sure enough, Olette had sent her a message. It read, "Nice seeing you again Xion J Hope we can hang out soon! We all miss you ya know! L"

"Hm… not all of you," Xion bitterly said under her breath, unhappily remembering the faces that caused her to lose sleep for months, making her scream at herself and want to disappear. Of course, there were memories that she cherished, but they only caused a sinking cold feeling in her heart.

"Hey Xion," Yuffie's voice called from down the hall, "come eat! Dinner's ready!"

"Okay," Xion called back. She stared at her phone, hesitant to reply. Biting her lip and knowing she would regret either decision she made, she quickly typed, "Let's see each other again soon." She dropped her phone onto her mattress and went to eat with her siblings, all while keeping the thought in the back of her head.

"Xion, are you gonna run off to your room to eat alone again, or will you actually sit with us tonight?" Noctis asked as he handed her a plate. It hadn't only been her friends Xion had grown distant from.

With a pout, Xion glared at him and answered, "I'm eating with you."

"What did I just hear?" Yuffie asked with exaggerated astonishment. "Xion… eating with us? Is the world falling apart?"

Noctis chuckled at his older sister's antics as the younger wished she had stayed in her room. However, the smell of Tom Kha Gai made her stay.

"It just might be," she finally said, serving herself some of the salad Yuffie had laid out. "I feel like sharing today."

…

"Welcome to Mickey Burger, how can I help you?" Axel Lea asked cheerfully. The customer was indecisive and changed his mind five times, to the chagrin of the kitchen staff that had to wait for the order to be fully completed before preparing it.

He pushed back a loose strand of red hair that escaped his hat's brim. His coworker, Xion, had been filling a carton of fries for the order. The two were an unlikely pair of friends who met through the job. It was only after they began working together that they found out they had both attended Bastion High School. Axel had been her senior, however, so they never interacted.

"She-own," Axel sang, grinning at the annoyed glare she gave him. "I need two large fries for the drive-through order."

"Ok," Xion nodded, grabbing the empty cartons. They finished preparing the orders, and once they had all been sent out, they began stocking utensils and dipping sauces to keep busy.

"Hey Xion, what time are you off?" Axel asked. Xion, in her own confusion, went to check the schedule posted by the dish sink.

"Mm, 5:30, so another hour," she answered. "You?"

"8," Axel sighed. Peering into the back of the room to make sure he was clear, Axel took out his phone.

"If you're caught texting, you'll get in trouble," Xion sang, going to pick up the trays left by guests who ate in.

Axel was about to reply, but a ring sounded through the restaurant speakers. Holding down a button on a cartridge attached to his belt, Axel asked through his headset, "Welcome to Mick-Burger, home of the Mick-Burger. Can I take your order?"

Xion, listening through the kitchen speakers, went and prepared what she could for Axel. She gave Axel a thumbs up as Axel continued the order. Once it was served, Axel was told to take a ten minute break by the manager. Axel had Xion make him a new Mousse Mouse Sundae the store had begun serving, teasing her for the smallest things, such as how she held the can of whipped cream.

As he tore apart the dessert, Axel looked at his phone again, checking his new notifications.

"Aethernet: _Yuffie Kisaragi has invited you to the Event 'Party!'_ "

"Well at least it's straightforward," Axel mumbled. He went to Details and checked the invite list, taking note of the names he recognized. As he read, he glanced up at Xion, who had begun to walk around and clean messy tables now that the restaurant was empty.

"Watcha looking at?" she asked when she got to Axel's table. Axel lifted his tray for her and pointed the camera at her, and in Xion's expected behavior, she covered her face.

"Relax, it's not even open," Axel chuckled, showing the screen to her.

"What's with all the names?" Xion asked.

"Your sister invited me to a party through Aethernet, I'm checking who's going," Axel explained. He paused on the list when he read the next name and let out a worried groan.

"What's the matter?" Xion asked.

Axel's hand tensed as he gripped his phone. "I'm not really sure if I want to go. I have some close friends who said they might go, but there are also some people I don't want to see…"

"Oh…" Xion quietly murmured. She tapped her nails against the spray bottle, trying to figure out what to say. "Hm… maybe if it gets too lame you can convince your friends to ditch it with you."

Axel glanced at her, glanced at his phone, and let a thought brew in his mind before asking. "If I promise to go, you have to promise I'll see you there."

Xion's eyebrows raised in surprise. "M-me?" Axel grinned. He stood up and went to return to his shift, then grabbed the broom to sweep around Xion and continue their conversation.

"Heh, why not?" he asked. A blush began to creep on Xion's face.

"Well…" she muttered, pausing to lift the trash off one table. "Parties… really aren't my thing."

"Yuffie's going. Maybe some of your friends are also going," Axel said, letting Xion walk ahead of him to the next table.

"Well like you, there might be people I won't want to see," Xion answered. The two stopped cleaning and paused their conversation when they saw a family approach the abandoned register, rushing back to take their order.

"Your order number is fourteen," Axel grinned as he handed the receipt to the mother. She smiled and went with her family to find a table. He turned around to see Xion preparing the order, focused on her task.

"Well Xi," Axel began, "if it gets bad, you can ditch with me and my friends."

"Ha-ha," Xion sarcastically laughed. She called out the order, and a teenage boy followed his younger brother as he ran to the counter.

"Enjoy," Xion smiled as she handed the tray over to the teenager. Axel grinned as he took out his phone. He put his arm around Xion's shoulders and pointed to his temple. As Xion realized what was happening, the shutter clicked.

"A-Axel!" she whimpered, immediately covering her face. She became red quickly. She tried to grab his phone, but Axel held it above his head, exploiting their height difference.

"Ah-ah, what will the customers think if they see you attack your coworker?" he teased. Xion looked back at the family, beginning to eat their food. Axel grinned.

"Delete it," Xion pleaded, looking more angry than worried.

"Only if you agree to go to the party," Axel said. Xion gritted her teeth, so Axel pretended to type. "Hey guys, if you need a reason to go, look no further. This cutie will be there, and she's single. Got it memorized?"

"Axel!" Xion hissed. "Fine, fine, I'll go."

"Good, because I didn't send it," Axel stuck his tongue out and showed the camera screen, still open. Xion's face became red and she whimpered in defeat.

"Jerk," she said, even though she was trying to hide a grin. After some more busy work, Noctis arrived to pick Xion up. Axel grinned as he glanced at the picture. What he hadn't told Xion was that he had sent it to one friend, one who he needed to convince to go. If Xion was a reason that would work, then so be it.

"This might be worth it after all," Axel smirked to himself, tucking his phone back in his pocket.

…

A/N: hehehehe, this was surprisingly fun to write. Just to note, narration will not focus on any single character. Xion is just easier to write with for this ch ^^ it'll pass by the next chapter, where we might actually find out what all this mystery is? Hmm, it's for me to know and you to find out!

Next time, on Dragon Bal-

Oh, wait. Er, next time, on Chapter Two:

"Get some ice for Zexion, I think he's still gonna try to jump to the first floor for beer."

This story is also posted on Wattpad under the same username! Please support my work with feedback on either site! :D


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: AND NOW, Ladies and Gentlemen, cue the most dramatic party _ever_! Also, a̶l̶l̶ some characters may seem "OOC" but that's because of a little something I like to call, AAAAAAAAAAAANGST.

…

Kairi Oshiro sighed and took a long sip of her drink. At a party she had been invited to, she was taking a break from dancing with some friends. Some of the braver drunken idiots had been making poor attempts at flirting with her. One guy thought he was being sneaky while brushing his hand up towards her miniskirt – Kairi quickly dumped her drink on him and moved with her friend Selphie Tilmitt out of the crowd.

Selphie had gone to help an intoxicated friend who was emptying her stomach, leaving Kairi to her own silence against the blaring music around her. She wiped sweat from her face and looked around at the faces of the partygoers, hoping she could recognize at least one.

A flash of blonde hair answered her wish. Ri Gullwing was gathering a plate full of chips over by the snack table next to the kitchen, individually selecting each cooked thin slice of potato. Kairi pushed past several drunk dancers, dodging unwanted grabbers as best as she could, and reached the blonde. She tapped her shoulder to avoid having her voice drowned out by the music.

"Hey Rikku," Kairi teased, using the girl's full name. Ri groaned and turned back to her with an annoyed look.

"You can't call me that," she rolled her eyes before grinning. "What's up, Kai? It's good to see you."

"Yeah, you too," Kairi giggled. "Are you here with Yuna?"

"Yeah," Ri sighed. "She's still moping like crazy and trying to avoid Tidus."

"He's still upset then," Kairi mumbled. "Well maybe I can help cheer her up. Selphie ditched me and I don't know where Sora is."

"Well what about that guy who stole my name?" Ri asked. Kairi smiled politely. Although Ri used her new name, she had gotten incredibly annoyed when everyone confused her and Riku Ametsuchi for each other. They had a bet to see who got to keep their name. Ri, well, lost.

"Well… he's busy with some other friends," Kairi answered. "He doesn't talk to me as much. Not with Sora, either. Namine probably knows where he is, but I haven't seen her."

"Oh," Ri said softly. "This is my chance to get my name back!" Kairi raised her eyebrows in confusion. Ri burst out laughing. "Kidding… for now. Ahem, anyway, who needs him? Come on, let's go find Yuna."

With arms linked, Ri led Kairi to the dining room. Seated at the table were Yuna Gullwing, Namine Pallet, Olette and Aerith Gainsborough.

"Look who I found, Yunie!" Ri happily announced. Yuna looked up – caught off guard, she had tear stains across her cheeks and was clenching some of her hair in a tangled mess. She let go of her hair and quickly straightened it out, then grabbed a napkin from a pile in front of her to clean her face. Kairi felt an ache in her chest.

"Kairi, hey," Yuna said nonchalant, futilely trying to mask her state. "I, uh… I'm sorry you have to see me like this."

"No, no," Kairi shook her head. She stepped forward and hugged the brunette. "You don't have to apologize. I understand."

"Let's just get your mind off of it, Yunie," Ri suggested, rubbing Yuna's shoulders. Yuna smiled sadly and nodded.

"So Kairi," Olette began, catching her attention, "The blitzball tryouts are coming up. Are you still thinking about joining?"

Kairi bit her lip. She had been part of the girls' blitzball team in Bastion Academy with Yuna. She played casually, not prioritizing it and focused more on academics in college; it didn't stop her from missing the sport. She finally answered, "I honestly forgot about it. I haven't practiced in the longest time. I'm probably really sloppy now."

"You can have someone coach you," Aerith suggested. "That way you can get back in shape. The tryouts aren't for another three weeks."

"Yuna would've been able to, but..." Olette trailed off. Kairi, Ri, and Aerith all sent her worried looks.

"What about Tidus?" Namine asked. Yuna let out a small whimper that Kairi barely heard, much less Namine. "He's the best of the guys."

"Hey, why don't we save this conversation for later, gals?" Ri suddenly said loudly. She still had her hands on Yuna's shoulders, and the brunette's eyes were wet. Namine, realizing her mistake, began playing with her hair to avoid seeing Yuna's expression. Kairi stepped toward her and gently pat her shoulder to reassure her that it was an honest mistake.

"Rikku, it's fine," Yuna said quietly, placing her hand over her cousin's.

"Well either way, I don't know about you ladies but I feel like dancing!" Ri announced. "Come on, who's with me?"

Kairi smirked at the blonde and sighed. She stood with the rest of the girls, ready to dance their problems away.

…

Sora Hikaru watched as his upperclassmen began a beer chugging contest. He rolled his eyes when they began chanting beside him. Sora wasn't in the party mood, instead simply scrolling through his Aethernet feed on his phone to kill time – all that showed were pictures of classmates he regretfully added out on expensive vacations and posts of cheesy song lyrics. When he saw his low battery percentage he groaned and pocketed the device. He scanned the dance floor, knowing that Kairi was there somewhere with her friends.

Kairi had convinced him to come to the party to reunite with some old friends. Unfortunately, almost as soon as they had arrived, she was pulled away by Selphie. Sora couldn't help but feel forgotten. Other than Kairi, there was no one at this party that Sora was willing to speak to. He eyed the cooler filled with beer and wondered if he should take one. He had never drank before, but now…

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a man's voice said. Startled, Sora turned around and saw Squall Leonhart standing behind him.

"Leon, hey," Sora said, still jolted. Squall sat beside him on the couch, opening his own can of beer and taking a long sip. "Some example you're setting."

"I'm 22, you're 19. It's legal for me," Squall answered. Sora rolled his eyes. "Hey, did you come here with Riku?"

Sora sharpened his glare on the cooler, tempted again. "No, I wouldn't know if he's here either."

"Still not talking eh?" Squall sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Well what about Vanitas?"

Sora gripped the loose edge of his shirt, feeling a hot anger rise in his chest. "What about him?" he angrily spat.

"Oh man, what happened to the Sora who was all smiles and sunshine?" Squall asked. Sora stayed silent. "Well if you ever decide to talk, I'm right here."

"Thanks," Sora muttered, having no intention of pouring his heart out while sober. Papa Squall was watching him with hawk eyes, so Sora knew he wouldn't be able to get away with it. Maybe it was for the best; Sora had never had anything alcoholic before, so there was no guess to how he would react. Not wanting to leave an awkward silence, Sora asked, "So why aren't you with Cloud or Zack?"

"Cloud's too busy sucking off Tifa's face, probably, and Zack decided to join a drinking game," Squall explained. "Honestly, big parties like this really aren't my thing. Yuffie sort of made me come. But anyway, why aren't you talking to Riku?"

"It's… it's complicated," Sora quietly answered. He began to space out as the annoying thought of his silver-haired best friend popped in his mind. Shortly after graduation, Riku had less time to spend with Sora and Kairi. Whenever he would spend time with them, he would talk about his dorm mate and friends he had met in his classes at Destiny University, the prestigious college that Sora would have to spend taking years' worth of classes at Traverse Community College before he could even think about being accepted. Eventually, Sora just stopped reaching out, waiting for Riku to speak first. At least that had been the first part of the reason that Sora had concluded.

"Sora, Squall!" Aerith excitedly greeted the pair. The brunette woman waved at them, weary from dancing. "Nice to see you made it."

"Hey Aerith," Squall greeted her back.

"Damn, looks like the couch is taken. I was hoping to find somewhere to sit and rest," Aerith said, wiping away sweat from her forehead. Sora stood up.

"Take my seat, Aerith," he chimed, smiling. "I was going to get some fresh air anyway. It's too stuffy in here."

"Ah, are you sure?" Aerith asked, but Sora ignored her and dug into the nearby cooler for a can of soda. Aerith nervously smiled at Squall and sat beside him.

"Sora seems… different," she whispered, thinking Sora was out of earshot. Sora kept his hand hovering over the ice chilled drink waiting for him.

"I'm not surprised, the kid looks like he's going through hell," Squall commented. He paused and took a sip of beer. "I just hope it doesn't last long."

"Yeah…" Aerith sighed. Sora finally grabbed the can, switching it to his warmer hand, and angrily huffed at their words. He turned around and squeezed past all the teenagers in his path, making his way to the backyard so that he could get some air – even in his negative state, he couldn't bring himself to lie. With a click, he opened his soda and took a large gulp, hoping the cool chill of the drink could stifle his hot blood.

Out in the cool air, Sora looked for an empty spot away from all of the party-crazed teenagers. As he enjoyed his solitude, he stared at the sky. While the city lights blocked everything worth seeing, Sora still found solace trying to decipher stars from satellites.

Sora thought again about what Squall had said to him. He didn't want to feel so negative for so long. Maybe Riku would- No, Riku would definitely be at the party. As for Vanitas, it wouldn't be any time soon for Sora to forgive his manipulative older brother. It made him feel queasy just thinking about him.

As he prepared to go back inside, someone stumbled out of the house. Sora quickly recognized the blond man as Tidus, now throwing up in the garden.

"Well that won't help the peppers," Sora softly muttered. Concerned, he ran from his post. Terra Lapis and Zack Fair, two of Tidus' friends, ran after him.

"Tidus, you ok?" Terra quickly asked, grabbing the kneeling man's left arm.

Tidus let out a shaky gasp and cried, "Yuna can't leave!"

Sora bit the inside of his cheek. He stepped forward, asking, "Need any help?"

"Sora," Zack said with a breath of relief. "Can you help us get him to the bathroom so we can clean him up?"

"Let me help too," another man's voice said. Sora saw Ventus Yuuki standing a few feet away. Although Ventus had said this to Zack, he stared right at Sora. Sora felt his anger grow once more. His fists curled automatically and he had to fight off the urge to tackle the upperclassman. Ventus glared at him.

"That's fine, I was leaving anyway," Sora bitterly announced.

"Huh?" Zack said in confusion. "But Sora, Tidus-"

"Has enough hands helping him, I'll just be in the way," Sora said with a grimace. He walked back to the house, glaring at Ven as he passed.

"Sora –" Ventus began, reaching his arm.

"Stop," Sora pleaded, continuing without looking back.

…

Riku Ametsuchi blew his hair out of his face. Bored, he watched as the party's host, Ienzo Zexion, downed another can of beer.

"You're drinking too much," Saix Isa commented. He flicked some of his blue hair back and leaned back in his chair.

"I know 'ow much ah can handle," Ienzo slurred, nearly falling as he took a step towards Riku.

"Oh buddy," Riku sighed. He lowered Ienzo's arm as he began stumbling towards the railing. "You need to take a break. What do you need to drink for?"

"So he doesn't freak out over anyone breaking anything," Saïx answered with a bored tone.

"Why have a party if you'll be scared of what'll happen?" Vanitas Hikaru commented. Riku awkwardly gazed at him; Vanitas looked almost exactly like his younger brother Sora, only with incredibly different colors. It felt strange to find company with the older sibling, the only other person Riku knew Sora couldn't stand.

Riku felt his stomach growl. He stood up and announced, "I'm gonna find something to eat."

"Get some ice for Zexion, I think he's still gonna try to jump to the first floor," Vanitas shouted.

Riku huffed and grumbled "fine" as he walked downstairs. He was careful not to accidentally kick on step on any of the couples making out and blocking his path, no matter how much he wanted to.

Ienzo had decided to throw a party. Why? Because why not? Ienzo's family was out of town and he wanted to do something big before summer ended. It was open-invite, which initially made Riku not want to go. Only after being coerced by Ienzo did he agree, but he regretted it the second he told Kairi he was going.

Riku had finally made it to the bottom of the staircase when he was suddenly pulled into a hug. Surprised, Riku let out a small gasp and didn't move. He caught the sweet, fruit-like scent of perfume, suddenly encapsulated by it. Just when he hoped it would stay, his attacker pulled away. Namine Pallet smiled at him, keeping her hands on Riku's shoulders.

"N-Namine," he awkwardly stuttered. The blonde before him giggled.

"Riku, I've been looking everywhere for you!" Riku would have thought she was chastising him if it hadn't been for the obvious grin.

"You have?" Riku asked bluntly. Namine pouted. She lowered her hand to wrap around his wrist.

"Hey, do you want to dance?" she eagerly asked. It took one look at the overcrowded living room for Riku to make up his mind, but he felt like entertaining her. Another hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder, and Riku saw Saix.

"Hey, thought I'd join you," he said. Although Riku had been grateful for Saix interrupting, it was the very reason he was slightly annoyed. Namine let go of Riku's wrist and followed the pair as they went to the kitchen.

"So how's Des-Uni?" Namine asked, trying to make small talk.

"It's alright," Riku shrugged, not wanting to get into deep conversation about homework.

"Saix, you go there too?"

"Yeah, my dorm is on the same floor as Riku's."

Riku began drowning out their conversation, just wanting to get his food and go back to Ienzo and Vanitas as quickly as possible. The longer he lingered down here, the more likely he was to see someone he didn't want to. At the same time, Namine was a pleasant sight. He could enjoy her company, but it increased his chances of seeing Sora or Kairi. In all honesty, Riku just wanted to be alone. He picked up a foam plate from the stack and glanced at the different chips and pizza boxes, taking a moment to decide what he wanted.

"Hey Riku," Namine suddenly grabbed his arm, just as he was about to reach for a slice of island pizza. Namine looked oddly serious and was staring at someone across the room. Riku followed her gaze to see Noctis and Xion Caelum, too invested in their conversation to notice. Riku was staring at Xion with a lump forming in his throat. While she had been on the list of people Riku wanted to avoid, something felt different about her.

Feeling their eyes on her, Xion glanced their way and stared back. Her blue eyes locked with Riku's green; the cold emptiness that formed as she recognized him made Riku tense. They stared at each other, neither able to break free from the spell until Saix suddenly pulled them back to earth.

"Riku, stay here, I'm going to get Ienzo's ice," he said, but he was staring at a redhead who angrily stared back. Riku recognized him as Axel, and beside him a blond young man, Riku's age, that looked familiar – maybe he went to Des-Uni? Riku didn't have time to pinpoint him when Saix pleaded, "Please just stay here."

Riku nodded, seeing the odd desperation in Saix's blue eyes. He took off and Axel began to follow him, saying something to the blond. He tried to stop Axel but it had been no use. Then, Namine tugged Riku's arm again.

"Xion's leaving too, I need to talk to her right away," she said. "Stay here, Riku. Don't move."

"Nami–!" Riku said in disdain, but she walked away without another word. Xion glanced at Riku one more time before taking a step back to face Namine. She led Xion out of the kitchen.

Standing alone, Riku tried to process what had just happened. The familiar blond had disappeared, and Noctis had left. There was no one else there to tie Riku. With a sigh of relief at finally being alone, Riku took a slice of pizza and went outside to eat.

…

A/N: Sora doesn't deserve any of this I hate myself for doing this to the prince OTL

Feedback is GREATLY appreciated! If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a Comment on what you want to see next, or which characters you hope to see!

This story is also on Wattpad under the same username!

Find out next time, on Chapter Three! "Is there some better party in here you guys are hiding or something?"


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